Packers owe Favre nothing

Yes, this is another Packer entry on a Falcons blog, but since it’s July, you’ll have to deal with it. Frankly, unless Curtis Lofton shoots up a strip club, there isn’t going to much to say about the Falcons until training camp begins. Plus, since Favre began his career as a Falcon, I’m going to claim him as a long lost son.

Well, I think this Favre situation is one big clusterfudge. But if I was the Packers, I would make the situation pretty easy. I would tell Brett that he’s welcome to come back to the team, but he’s not going to be given his starting job back, and that he will not be granted a trade or release. Basically, boiling Brett’s options down to two choices: 1) Be Aaron Rodgers backup or 2) stay retired.

A bit cold-hearted for a beloved Packer great? Probably, but frankly, it’s the approach I’m going to take since Favre retired and now has reneged on said decision. Especially, since the Packers did not win a Super Bowl last year. Meaning, that Favre and the Packers are somewhat unfulfilled. The Packers organization, and I suspect many of the fans have moved on since Favre decided to hang it up a few months ago. And thus, Favre shouldn’t be holding this franchise hostage with his decision, which is essentially what he’s doing. It’s the same as a person being buried, people moving on with their lives (at least attempting to), and then that person showing up a couple of months/years later, and expecting everything to be the same as before they “died”. We all saw Castaway. It would have been nice if Helen Hunt and Tom Hanks had gotten back together, but unrealistic.

And while in one world, the Packers could “owe” Favre for his illustrious service and grant him a release/trade, that debt was thrown out the window once Favre retired.

And while it’s not uncommon for retired players to change their minds years, months, or in the case of Junior Seau weeks later, in my book that doesn’t necessarily mean the team should accommodate the players’ wishes. If I’m the Packers, I feel that if Favre wants to come back, then he should want to come back as a Packer. Otherwise, this smells to me like a convoluted method of just getting out of Green Bay. Making Favre, in principle, no less of a bastard than Chad Johnson or for you Falcon-centric readers, DeAngelo Hall.

And if Brett wants to come back as a Packer, then he has to understand that the franchise and team cannot simply reset itself to January 2008 and just give Favre his starting job back and expect everything to be gumdrop wishes and rainbow smiles.

In my eyes, it’s simply a matter of PR for the Packers. Play the above described hand, and you put Favre into a situation where he is forced to say publicly that he doesn’t want to be a Packer. If that is the case, then you don’t look like the bad guy if/when you grant a trade this summer.

And of course if you do trade Favre, then you tell him that you’re not trading him to an NFC or AFC South team. Making it so that it’s impossible to face Favre before February. That’s my insurance policy as the Packers in case this trade comes back to bite us in the rear.

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2 Commentson "Packers owe Favre nothing"

I agree with everything you said above. If I were a stakeholder of the Packers (owner, staff, or fan) I would be tired of the soap opera every off season. I think Favre gets off on the “will I or won’t I” regarding retirement.

Hey Brett, everybody else has moved on, why is it so hard for you to do the same? You can do nothing now but screw the team if you come back. Rodgers will be a free agent next year, and if he’s not starting this season, he’ll leave. Coming back will prove that you don’t care about the Packers or their fans and that you are one huge selfish SOB.

I agree with everything you said above. If I were a stakeholder of the Packers (owner, staff, or fan) I would be tired of the soap opera every off season. I think Favre gets off on the “will I or won’t I” regarding retirement.

Hey Brett, everybody else has moved on, why is it so hard for you to do the same? You can do nothing now but screw the team if you come back. Rodgers will be a free agent next year, and if he’s not starting this season, he’ll leave. Coming back will prove that you don’t care about the Packers or their fans and that you are one huge selfish SOB.